GOLDEN TOAD'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

This is one of my favorites for cold Colorado nights! Who doesn't enjoy a nice warm savory soup? This one is sure to please. I find that caramelizing the onions in a slow cooker for 10 hours works great, and it makes the house smell great as well. Plan ahead. This soup should be started in the morning.

Ingredients

• 6 (2-½# to 3#) Sweet Yellow Onions sliced thinly
• 2 TBS Unsalted Butter (divided)
• 2 TBS Olive Oil (+ additional for bread)
• ½ tsp Sea Salt
• 3 TBS All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Chopped Garlic (Christopher Ranch)
• ½ tsp Brown Sugar
• 2 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
• 1 Fresh Rosemary Sprig
• 8 Cups Beef Broth (8 Cups Water & 8 tsp Better than Bouillon Beef Base – heat in Microwave)
• ½ Cup Dry White Wine (Pinot Grigio)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp Golden Toad Prime Steak Rub
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
• Sherry (Fino or Manzanilla)
• 6 slices of Baguette (1” thick)
• 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
• Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley

 Preparation

• Add Onions, 1 TBS Butter, Olive Oil, and Salt to your slow cooker and heat on low for 10 hours stirring occasionally.
• Start a 6qt Dutch Oven on the stove over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 TBS of Butter and Flour and stir for a few minutes to cook out the raw Flour taste.
• After Onions are caramelized, add them to your Dutch Oven.
• Add the Beef Broth slowly stirring well to incorporate.
• Add the Garlic, Brown Sugar, Thyme, Rosemary (use an herb/tea strainer ball for the herbs). Bring to a boil.
• Add the Dry White Wine, Bay Leaves, and Golden Toad Prime Steak Rub.
• Turn down heat to low and simmer for 45-60 minutes uncovered.
• Remove herb strainer.
• Season with Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste.

Serving

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Brush the Olive Oil onto the Baguette Slices, place on baking sheet, and brown up in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Place oven safe bowls onto baking sheet.
• Add ½ tsp Sherry to each bowl.
• Ladle Soup to each bowl.
• Top Soup with a slice of toasted Baguette and a generous amount of grated Gruyere.
• Bake for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted, then turn oven to broil and broil for 1-2 minutes until the Cheese is bubbly and browned.
• Remove carefully from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped Parsley.

Enjoy!

Golden Toad